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RN-BS Program Admission Packet

Congratulations!

You have been accepted into the RN-BS program at the University of South Florida’s College of Nursing for the Fall 2015 semester. Please consider this your official notification of acceptance to the USF College of Nursing.

It is essential that you read the information below in its entirety. There are several steps required before you are allowed to register for classes, as well as additional information to prepare you for your first semester in the RN-BS program.

Fall classes begin on August 24, 2015. Your courses have a mandatory first day check in online. If you do not log in to your courses and complete any required assignments by those deadlines, you will be dropped from your course(s).

Please note:

The RN-BS program is intended to be part-time (6 credits/semester) to ensure the success of our working RN’s. A formal request to go full-time (12 credits/semester Fall or Spring; 9 credits/semester Summer) must be sent to your advisor via e-mail to be approved by the RN-BS Program Director. Please inquire to your advisors for the official process by July 31st.

Consecutive enrollment is expected in the RN-BS program (Spring, Summer, AND Fall semesters). Students who take more than one consecutive semester may have to reapply and be readmitted into the program.

If you have any further questions regarding your acceptance, orientation, or this website, please contact your RN academic advisors listed below. Appointments: Online phone (and in person) appointments can be made through USF's online appointment scheduler - Escheduler

Section 1: Prior to Registration

Items in this section must be completed by July 31st.

You will not be able to register for courses until these items have been completed and verified. You will receive an email notification that your holds have been removed and at that time you will be cleared to register at your assigned registration time. This is a manual process which could take up to 48 hours after completing the appropriate steps.

Step 1: Create USF Health Email Address

All College of Nursing students are required to use a USF Health Email address for correspondence with their advisor, professors, and College of Nursing courses.

The cost of the entire package is $165.75 which includes the required document tracker, level 2 background check, urine drug screen, and immunization verification. Once purchased you will receive instructions from Certified Background within 48 hours, the urine drug screen must be completed within 72 hours after receiving your instructions. If the drug screening is not completed within 72 hours of purchase, an additional cost will be required as the drug screen package will need to be re-purchased ($38).

In order to progress to Semester II all required documentation must be uploaded and approved by the Certified Profile vendor by October 1st.

>**See Section 3, Step 6 for more details on how to complete the Certified Profile process**

The Planner tab in DegreeWorks will show a split screen; one screen showing the full degree audit (items in green are complete; items in red/orange are outstanding) and one screen showing your Nursing degree plan for your entire program.

Most USF FKL/General Education requirements that you may need can be taken at any time during your program and are not listed under specific semesters on your degree plan.

Statistics (and its pre-requisites) must be taken before semester 3 and will be listed on your program plan.

RN Nursing coursework is intended to be taken in the order listed in your program plan. If you register for a Nursing course outside of your program plan without pre-approval, you may be dropped from that course.

The Capstone and Writing Intensive USF Exit Requirements are built in to your Nursing coursework and will be covered by core Nursing classes. A Portfolio requirement is built into your Nursing coursework and will be graded at the end of NUR4634C in your last semester.

USF Undergraduate Admissions has taken into consideration transfer credit received from your previous institutions. However, DegreeWorks sometimes requires manual application of those credits to the College of Nursing requirements, so please let us know if you see anything missing that you think you have taken.

Step 5: Determine if you need to complete and return the USF Health Form from Student Health Services (optional depending on schedule)

The USF Health Form from Student Health Services is not the same as the Certified Profile immunization requirements and cannot be used in-lieu of completing the Certified Profile immunization requirements.

The USF Health Form is required ONLY if you plan on attending on-campus courses for any required FKL, Foreign Language, or State Mandated requirements.

However, unless you complete the form, the hold for the USF health form will always show on your student account, so that if you start as an online student and later need to take an on campus courses, you will be prompted to complete the health form. If you choose to only take online courses, this hold should never prevent you from registering for your courses.

If you plan to take on-campus classes, the form must be completed by a licensed ARNP or Physician. Office stamps and/or additional attached documentation will not be accepted in lieu of a Provider’s signature and license number. Immunization records, along with your signed USF Medical History form, can be scanned and submitted electronically on the Student Health Services website - http://www.shs.usf.edu/immunizations/immunization-compliance.aspx#form

Section 2: Prior to the Start of the Semester

Step 1: Register for Classes!

Once you have completed the steps in Section I and received email notification that the holds have been removed from your account, you are able to register for your courses.

Please review that Planner tab in DegreeWorks to confirm your Semester I and II Nursing courses.

For future semesters the USF Registrar’s office assigns an “appointment time” to students each semester for registration purposes. The appointment time gives the day and time students can start registering for classes. Once assigned, your appointment time will be visible in Oasis.

click on ‘Registration Tutorial on OASIS’ – on the right hand side (in the green outer circle)

Step 2: RSVP for Orientation: RN-BS

We strongly encourage you to take the opportunity to join us August 4, 2015 at the USF College of Nursing for our STARS (Support and Technology Assistance for RN Students) event. Many students find this event provides them with essential tools for success. Please see the Save the Date for more information. Please RSVP to this event by July 31st to Julie Tierson at jtierson@health.usf.edu.

Step 3: Obtain USF Photo ID Card

All new USF students are required to obtain a USF Photo ID. As a distance learning student, you will still need the USF Card.

You can obtain your card on-campus or online. The cost is $10.00. To order your card online, use our convenient online form to apply for your card now!

After you have completed HIPAA training, be sure to print a copy of your certificate (USF health Required Training Completion Certificate) for your own records. We do not require a copy at the College of Nursing, but it must be furnished if requested.

NOTE: Please disable any pop-up blockers before attempting the modules. In addition, make sure to follow all on-screen instructions when exiting the modules. Incorrectly exiting the modules may result in not receiving full completion credit for your attempt. If you need help at any time, give USF HEALTH IT a call at 813.974.6288.

Step 5: Ordering Textbooks

Textbooks for online classes may be purchased by contacting the USF Health Science Center Bookstore. The bookstore will ship your books via UPS on the same day you place your order IF you place the order before 10:00am.

Students may place textbook orders three different ways at the USF Health Bookstore:

The RN-BS program courses are 100% online (not including the service learning hours) and require daily access to the online classroom (Canvas) and email. Additionally, as a Baccalaureate program, the RN-BS program will expect a certain level of scholarly writing. Review the following documents to help prepare for and understand the program’s requirements.

Step 5: Review Service Learning information for Semester II

Service learning hours are associated with several of the core courses. In collaboration with course faculty and mentors/preceptors, students spend time with leaders in the community while completing projects related to the course. During the service learning hours, students will apply principles, theories, and concepts which are learned in the core courses. Students may do hours at their place of employment if approved by the organization. If students are not working, we will work with you to find placement. Projects are required to complete these courses. Additionally, all requirements in your Certified Profile must be completed and approved prior to the start of the semester in which you are taking these courses.

*You will be asked to complete a form in your first semester.

Three Service Learning Courses:

NUR 4828C - Foundations of Nursing Healthcare Leadership & Management

The project for this course focuses on working with various managers and leaders to do develop an “organizational culture assessment”

NUR 4169C – EBP for the Baccalaureate Prepared Nurse

You will identify a patient outcome that needs to be improved, using evidence to support your assumption. You will develop a PICOT, synthesis of the literature, and a plan for rollout. You will work with multiple people for this project: a manager, CNL, and any other staff focused on improving patient outcomes

NUR 4634C – Population Health

The student will assess a specific population within a community

Please keep in mind; it is your responsibility to please notify us if your employment has changed since filling out your SOAR application.

Students who do not have an approved work location for Service Learning hours will be placed in the Tampa Bay on a space available basis.

The College of Nursing is unable to guarantee a specific time/schedule or specific preceptor availability for students requiring placement. The student must be able to complete their hours when the preceptor is available to them. Generally, there are no weekend and evening hours available. These hours are intended to be done outside of your normal work hours.

Step 6: Certified Profile Completion Prior to October 1st

In order to progress to Semester II all documentation must be uploaded and approved by July 31st. (Please refer to Section 1: Step 2)

Please note: This is not the same as the USF Health Form from USF Student Health Services. The Certified Profile requirements are required for all RN-BS students. The USF Health Form cannot be used in lieu of Certified Profile.

To complete the Certified Profile Immunization Verification process, positive titers WITH either qualitative or quantitative results for the following are required. Additionally, you MUST provide lab reports WITH references ranges from your healthcare provider.

For detailed information for each of the Immunization Verification requirements, please review the FAQ about this process under the Resources & Forms area.

The USF College of Nursing Student Academic Compliance Officer Mr. Shawn Afflick (safflick@health.usf.edu) can assist you if the Certified Profile Customer Service cannot resolve an issue. It is your responsibility to order the Document Tracker, level 2 background check, immunization and drug screening package as well as to monitor your status. Begin by uploading the required documents and ensuring that they are processed and cleared. This process must be completed prior to July 31st.

Please note that this is not a onetime process. You, the student, must monitor all requirements and keep them up to date during the time of your enrollment in The College of Nursing. Failure to keep the programmatic and clinical requirements up to date will result in a HOLD on your course registration and/or clinical placement.

Dates to Remember

July 31st • Creation of your USF Health Email• Certified Profile package must be ordered and documents uploaded• RN to BS program Online Orientation• RSVP to Julie Tierson at jtierson@health.usf.edu for Orientation: RN-BS

August 4th Orientation: RN-BS

August 21st Last day to register for classes without late fee ($100)

August 24th Classes Begin - Please log into courses on the first day and complete assignments or you will be dropped for non-attendance

August 28th • Last day to Add/Drop courses from your schedule without financial penalty by 5pm• Tuition is due by 5pm

October 1st Certified Profile requirements must be completed and approved